Battle of Lexington

The Battle of Lexington (19 April 1775) was the first phase of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first action of the American Revolutionary War.

On 19 April 1775, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Smith left Boston with 700 British troops with the objective of searching the town of Concord for Patriot supplies and weapons. The Sons of Liberty spread the news that the British were advancing on Concord by land, and Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott warned several nearby towns and villages about the approach of the redcoats. Militia forces were raised, and Captain John Parker's company of 77 militiamen assembled in front of Buckman Tavern on Lexington Green to confront the British. Smith and the main contingent of the British force continued on to Concord, while Lieutenant Jesse Adair decided to take his contingent to Lexington.

Captain Parker told his men not to fire until fired upon, but warned them that, if the British intended to start a war, that the war should start here. Major John Pitcairn called on the rebels to disperse, and a musket shot then rang out; "the Shot Heard 'Round the World" started the battle. Neither side properly identified the shooter, and the British opened fire with their muskets. The colonists initially believed that the British were firing blank powder, but, when the truth became known, the majority of the colonists fled without firing. The British then began a bayonet charge against the Patriots, who scattered in fear. The militiamen John Brown, Samuel Hadley, Caleb Harrington, Jonathon Harrington, Robert Munroe, Isaac Muzzey, Asahel Porter, and Jonas Parker (Captain Parker's cousin) were killed, while ten were wounded; only one British soldier was wounded.

The Battle of Lexington was a brief and one-sided skirmish, but it led to the nearby militias being alarmed. The militias assembled to protect the patriot supplies at Concord, and they would proceed to engage with Smith's main force. This led to the Battle of Concord, the second phase of the battles.